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| Tuesday, October 25th, 2016

 

An inside look: a weekend at Open House Chicago

Steven Milan Moreno
TECH N EWS WRITER

Last weekend, the annual
architectural festival known as Open House
Chicago opened the doors to many of the
great structures in this city that are usually
inaccessible to the public. In addition to this,
volunteer guides provided insight on the
history and construction of those buildings
and how they are used today. Famous
skyscrapers such as the Willis Tower, the Aon
Center, and Lake Point Tower opened their
private observation decks and restaurants free
of charge. Other sites included the conference
rooms at the Hard Rock Hotel, the Blue Cross
Blue Shield Building mid—floor meeting
rooms, apartments and amenities at 1001

CTA Station Review:

Soren Spicknall
COPY E DITO R

Located at the split between the
Ashland and Cottage Grove branches of the
Green Line, the Garfield stop is a mainstay for
a wide variety of CTA customers. Located at
Garfield Boulevard (55th Street) and Prairie
Avenue, the station straddles the line between
the northeastern boundary of Englewood and
the western edge of Washington Park, with the
University of Chicago beyond it. Originally
constructed in 1892 as part of a southern
extension of Chicago’s then—new L system that
reached the World’s Columbian Exposition,
it has since been part of the CTA’s South Side
Rapid Transit line, North—South Route, and
now, the Green Line, first established in 1993.
Condition — 14/15

As part of the creation of the Green
Line, all stations along the elevated route were
thoroughly renovated starting in 1994. Garfield
is one of the largest stations on the routes
southern stretch, and is maintained to fairly

 

State Street and Marquee at Block 37, the
London House Hotels rooftop restaurant, the
Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist organs
and auditorium, and the Kemper Building’s
recently renovated observation deck. Even
on the Illinois Tech campus, Carr Memorial
Chapel and Crown Hall were open to the
public so they, too, could observe and learn
about the architecture of Ludwig Mies Van de
Rohe.

Some locations, like Union Station,
had little to offer to guests due to the ongoing
renovations being done in backrooms, and
other sites, like the Hard Rock Hotel, were
unable to show much of their space due to the
management wanting to respect the privacy of
the guests staying there. Other sites, however,
allowed a much more wide and free roaming

 

high standards. Its glass—paned station house at
the street level is sunny and generally spotless,
and the platform above exhibits few signs of
the fifteen years that have passed since station
renovations concluded. The Garfield station’s
PA system is clear and understandable, and
its lobby doesn’t suffer from any of the water
drainage issues that some other Green Line
stops have seen struggled with. That said, the
station has not seen any significant upgrade
work since 2001, and some of its infrastructure
is beginning to show age in dust and dirt
buildup and fading paint.
Appearance — 7/15

The original 1892 station was
located on the opposite side of Garfield from
the current building, and that station was still
in use until the completion of renovations at
the turn of the millennium. The 1892 station
house on the southern side of Garfield, despite
being retired from use, is the oldest public
transit entrance remaining in Chicago, and
perhaps in the entire United States.

On the northern side of the road, the

experience to visitors. Sites like the Willis
Tower and Aon Center allowed guests to look
throughout an entire floor of the building, with
no fear of security stopping them from getting
their fill of the views.

Another such site open last weekend
was at the House of Blues, located just off
State Street between the Marina Towers. The
Foundation Room in the upper floors of the
restaurant provided exclusive access to the
balconies above the stage and a private bar
and seating area decorated with religious icons
from around the globe. Several celebrities
such as former president Bill Clinton and
Katy Perry (and almost every band or group
that has performed at the House of Blues) has
relaxed before and after shows in this iconic,
members— only VIP lounge.

 

Though the event lasts only one
weekend a year, many of these locations will
reopen on select dates for special events
and for ticketed happenings throughout the
year. Though numerous sites are clustered
together in downtown Chicago, the event also
stretches across much of Chicagoland, opening
little known sites all over communities not
commonly known for their architectural or
historical treasures. Open House Chicago
will return next October and the Chicago
Architectural Society will reveal next year’s
lineup of locations a month in advance so
that visitors can clear their schedules for the
weekend and decide on the sites they want to
visit. With a little planning, this event can be
one to make a regular day living in Chicago
one to remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Steven Milan Moreno

Garfield Green Line

station largely follows the design language of
the majority of the Green Line, with white and
red tile covering its two elevator towers and
off—white paint on most of its metal surfaces.
The aesthetic is relatively dated at this point
(and has begun to be replaced at stations like
Morgan and Cermak along the same line),
but it’s presented well here. Since Garfield is
significantly larger than most stations along
the Green Line, its scale allows for some
variations on the CTA’s 1990s design themes,
and it presents well as a whole. However, there
is no significant public art on exhibit in the
station house, and the stop comes across as
rather forgettable on the whole.
Convenience — 17/20

Despite the relatively low density of
its immediate vicinity (the southern portion
of the Grand Boulevard community area
exhibits plenty of urban pasture where a more
populous neighborhood once stood, and
Washington Park is literally just a big park),
Garfield is actually a remarkably useful station.
There’s a reason that it was built to handle

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more people than most other Green Line
stops, and that’s because it’s an access point for
so many different neighborhoods. The 55 bus
and the University of Chicago’s own private
transit system bring thousands of people over
from Hyde Park, which isn’t serviced by any of
its own L stops, and a large park—and—ride lot
at the station’s northwestern corner services
a different kind of commuter, one of a few
such integrated park—and—ride facilities in the
entire CTA system. In addition, the Garfield
station has had a Divvy bike station installed
in recent years, and a small cluster of buildings
on the opposite side of the boulevard contains
a vibrant cafe, an arts incubator, and other
brand—new signs of a long—overdue economic
and artistic revival in the area that consistently
brings in people who would otherwise never
find themselves so far south in the city.
Garfield’s status as the last Green Line station
before that route’s southern split is significant
as well, cementing its status as an important
local transit point.

TOTAL — 38/50

Photo by Soren Spicknall